July 4th is behind us, but some lucky person still has their Independence Day ahead of them — independence from financial burdens, that is.

After an unprecedented 34 drawings without a jackpot winner, the multi-state Mega Millions lottery game now boasts a swelling jackpot of more than a half-billion dollars that could instantly put someone among the wealthiest people on the planet.

After nobody won Tuesday night's grand prize, the Mega Millions jackpot grew to an estimated $508 million — the largest since a $636 million jackpot was split by two tickets on Dec. 17, 2013. The two halves of that jackpot were claimed by Ira Curry of Stone Mountain, Georgia, and Steve Tran of Northern California.

Friday's $508 million Mega Millions jackpot is the 3rd-largest in the game's history, and the 7th-largest United States lottery jackpot of all time (see full list below).

The lump-sum cash value of $357.7 million is also the 6th-largest on the all-time US lottery jackpot cash value list.

The current jackpot run-up started on March 11 as a $15 million grand prize — it has been 4 months since Mega Millions has had a jackpot winner.

Lottery players wondering what all the cash will look like in their bank account after federal and state taxes are taken out can see an after-tax analysis of the current Mega Millions jackpot by visiting USA Mega's Jackpot Analysis page.

The rush of ticket sales over the next few days likely will propel the jackpot to an even higher amount before the drawing takes place Friday. Lottery Post and USA Mega will update the jackpot tallies displayed if such an increase occurs.

In Tuesday night's Mega Millions drawing, there was no jackpot winner, but 7 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $1,000,000 prize: 1 from California, 1 from Florida, 1 from New Jersey, 1 from Ohio, 1 from Oklahoma, 1 from Pennsylvania, and 1 from Texas.

Unfortunately, none of the second-prize winners purchased their ticket with the Megaplier option for an extra $1 per play. If they had, their prize would have been increased to a whopping $5 million, because the Megaplier number drawn was 5.

The lucky California second-prize winner will be awarded an extra-sweet $2,333,142. By law, California awards all lottery prizes on a pari-mutuel basis, meaning the prizes will change each drawing based on the number of tickets sold and the number of tickets that won at each prize level. This drawing that prize calculation paid off big-time.

The Megaplier option is not available in California, because the fixed nature of the prize increase offered with the Megaplier is not compatible with California's pari-mutuel payouts.

Also, a total of 139 tickets matched four of the first five numbers plus the Mega Ball to win a $5,000 prize. Of those tickets, 13 were purchased with the Megaplier option, increasing the prize to $25,000, and 19 were sold in California, where the prize awarded this drawing is $5,606.

The Mega Millions winning numbers for Tuesday, July 5, 2016, were 29, 46, 53, 64, and 73, with Mega Ball number 10. The Megaplier number was 5.

Following the Tuesday drawing, the Mega Millions annuity jackpot estimate was raised $54 million from its previous amount of $454 million. The cash value was raised by $38.7 million from its previous amount of $319 million.

Mega Millions is currently offered for sale in 44 states, plus Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are Tuesdays and Fridays at 11:00 pm Eastern Time. Tickets cost $1 each.

The Mega Millions winning numbers are published at USA Mega (www.usamega.com) minutes after the drawing takes place.

Top 25 United States lottery jackpots of all time

Friday's Mega Millions jackpot currently stands as the 7th-largest lottery jackpot of all time in the United States. That position may rise before the drawing, as lotteries are typically conservative in their initial estimates, and brisk sales may push the jackpot estimate higher by draw time.

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I have always wondered why rich people don't take this approach to make an extra few bucks.

For example, if I had the money, I would visit the lottery headquarters and come across with something like, "hey, here's the payment for ALL possible combinations, hence give me some sort of MASTER ticket in return". Once the game plays, I know I will be the winner. However, most times, you are risking of sharing your money (not if someone had done this on Tuesday's game). At the end, you're gambling your money. Ha.

You all really don't want to listen to the kid?? I know the great state of Sunny Arizona will have its very first MEGA MILLIONS WINNER!!! The winner will win $729 Million with no splitting at all Making him the sole winner of the jackpot and also the ticket will be a $5 QUICKPICK sold at Safeway Grocery store. THE PERSON THAT WINS THIS WILL BE THE BIGGEST SINGLE LOTTERY WINNER IN WORLD HISTORY IN ARIZONA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE FORCES OF NATURE TOLD ME!!!

I have always wondered why rich people don't take this approach to make an extra few bucks.

For example, if I had the money, I would visit the lottery headquarters and come across with something like, "hey, here's the payment for ALL possible combinations, hence give me some sort of MASTER ticket in return". Once the game plays, I know I will be the winner. However, most times, you are risking of sharing your money (not if someone had done this on Tuesday's game). At the end, you're gambling your money. Ha.

Because there are 258 million possible combinations, at 1$ each that's 258M$, factor in all the time this costs, the taxes on the winnings and the possibility of havng to share the jackpot with one or more other winners makes this unattractive.

Because there are 258 million possible combinations, at 1$ each that's 258M$, factor in all the time this costs, the taxes on the winnings and the possibility of havng to share the jackpot with one or more other winners makes this unattractive.

EDIT: Good luck to everyone who bought in!

Exactly, even if you could afford to buy 1,000,000 quick picks, your odds of winning the jackpot are still VERY minuscule.

I have always wondered why rich people don't take this approach to make an extra few bucks.

For example, if I had the money, I would visit the lottery headquarters and come across with something like, "hey, here's the payment for ALL possible combinations, hence give me some sort of MASTER ticket in return". Once the game plays, I know I will be the winner. However, most times, you are risking of sharing your money (not if someone had done this on Tuesday's game). At the end, you're gambling your money. Ha.

After the federal taxes are all paid, a person doing that would lose at least 43 million. And that's in a state with no income taxes. And assuming there is only one winner.

And then being able to fill out all the playslips and having time to run them. (It wouldn't happen at lottery headquarters.)